The Story of Us
by ssjx7squall
Summary: AU SHIZNAT. Natsuki and Shizuru were childhood friends who might have been more but were pulled apart by different events but kept in touch through letters. Unfortunatly time pulled them slowly apart and they each lived their own lives without eachother.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I realize it is truly irresponsible for me to work on another story especially when it takes me so long to update the ones i have now, but i have felt kinda detached from the characters lately and well, im hoping a new story will help with that. Also after watching a certain anime it kinda reinforced ideas i had for this one and then it evolved. This is going to be chock ful of inner monolouges and the like and it will move rather slow so if you are here for a quick story dont bother reading this because this will focus heavily on the little details. Other than that i hope you enjoy let me know what you think and i need a title badly.

ssjx7squall

P.S. Also please do what ever you guys can to keep this community alive. For authors that means update your stories, for aspiring authors that means take the chance and start writing and for readers that means reviewing your favorite stories and authors. Once i again i would like to state that i am NOT fishing for reviews when i say this just hoping people will do their part in keeping this community alive.

* * *

"Natsuki, you want me to pack this one too?"

Natsuki took a cigarette out of her mouth and exhaled before slowly turning to look back into her apartment. The sun was beginning to set behind her the bright rays passing through pollution in the sky creating brilliant colors of red and orange. Sighing she threw the cigarette over the railing and putting her hands in her pockets she walked back into the dimly lit apartment.

"Which one?" she asked yawning.

Mai didn't bother to look up from the floor of the closet as she held up an open box for Natsuki's inspection. Leaning over to look into the box she saw nothing of interest. "No, you can chuck it out with the rest."

"K." Mai set down the box to her side and slid it across the floor to a corner of the room where it hit the door frame just right and it tilted over spilling its contents on the floor.

"Hey hey be careful, I really don't want to have to clean up a hell of a lot before I move out of here." Natsuki said plopping down on the couch behind her friend.

"Ha!" Mai laughed throwing random objects out of the floor of the closet. "This place was more of a mess while you were living here! And besides **you're** the one that asked for my help and then decided to do nothing."

Natsuki chuckled. "Why should I do the work when you'll do it for me?"

"I really don't know why I help you with these things…" Mai said holding up what appeared to be a t-shirt that had since become a rag. "You have money why don't you pay people to do this for you?"

Natsuki put on a fake hurt expression. "I'm hurt that you think I would use you." She laughed at Mai's scoffing. "Besides you know how I hate dealing with people."

"Aint that the truth?" Grabbing quite a few of the close that were hanging on hangers from the closet Mai walked over and dumped them in a box. Wiping the dust off her hands she turned to look at Natsuki. "You really should keep better track of your money though. That settlement from that copyright lawsuit won't last forever."

"Yes mom." Grabbing her now lukewarm beer of the table Natsuki took a quick drink. Looking at Mai as if expecting the girl to continue she waited a few moments before speaking again. "You're not going to continue?"

Mai raised her hands to the side in a sign of exasperation. "You're the one wasting your money on a new condo. Who am I to judge, though you should probably start writing again." Turning back to the closet Mai started rummaging through it again.

"Heh, if only it were that easy." Natsuki leaned her head over the back of the couch. A few moments of silence past except for the sounds of Mai's rummaging and a clatter or two from the kitchen. Suddenly realizing something Natsuki raised her head quickly to stare at the back of her red headed friend. "You're not going to continue?"

Mai sighed and hunched her shoulders. Without turning to Natsuki she said, "I'm not you're mother nor your agent."

Natsuki smirked. "That never stopped you before."

Mai stood and turned around a large box in her hands. Walking over to the box that held Natsuki's cloths she dropped it on the floor. "That's because I'm assuming this move is for a change of perspective… Something to get your ass in gear. We all know you're lazy and unmotivated as hell but when you feel like you're backed into a corner you usually fight back."

Natsuki blinked at Mai for a few seconds before bursting out laughing. "I guess I can add therapist to that list."

Mai didn't bother to sigh this time. "What can I say? You haven't done anything for the past 5 years except work on that broken down bike that you haven't ridden since high school; turn down every person I have attempted to hook you up with and the usual writer's vices."

"Writer's vices?" Natsuki said questioningly.

Mai merely pointed to the beer bottle in her hand and the pack of cigarettes on the table. "Oh… Those."

"Dinners ready!" Mikoto popped her head into the room a large smile on her face.

"Okay!" Mai yelled back.

"Pfft." Natsuki scoffed. "I just hope it's edible this time."

Throwing a pillow at Natsuki Mai said over her friend's laughter. "She cooks a hell of a lot better than you. Besides I'm teaching her now and she's getting better."

"Tell that to the hole in my stomach." Natsuki whispered.

"What was that?!" Mai said holding Natsuki's cigarettes over the balcony.

"Nothing…" Natsuki said slowly standing. "Nothing…" she said to herself staring at the fake wood flooring beneath her feet.

As they all sat down at the small table in Natsuki's kitchen and began to eat (well some inhaled i.e. Mikoto) their food Mai questioned the blue haired girl. "Oh, about your therapist when was the last time you saw her?"

Natsuki choked on the ramen noodles she was trying to swallow. "A few months…"

Mai sighed bowing her head. "You know, I went through a lot of trouble to find her…"

"Eh," Natsuki slurped down some noodles. "Personally I think it's stupid to pay someone to hear you whine."

"Youko is only trying to help you." Mai pushed on.

"Yeah, help me feel like I'm crazy. This dinner is good by the way Mikoto." Natsuki said before picking up the bowl and draining some of its contents.

Mikoto beamed at Natsuki. "Mai's been helping me."

"It seems like you did something of your own this time too." Natsuki said, desperate to carry on the conversation.

Mai sighed again as she realized what Natsuki was doing. After a while of listening to a conversation in which she realized Mikoto knew nothing at all of how to coke Mai broke in.

"When are you going to start dating again?"

Mikoto ducked as Natsuki shot a spray of beer over the table. Wiping her mouth and gasping for air she turned to Mai. "Why the hell does that matter?"

Idly twirling some noodles with her chop sticks Mai said, "Well, it has been a while, and besides you should be over-"

"You can stop there." Natsuki said staring at poorly finished wood of the table. "You know how I have always been with relationships in general and because of you," she shot Mai an accusing look. "I took a chance on that last one and look where it got me."

"You were happy for a while-" Mai tried to counter but was cut off.

"Key words, **for a while**. Cheating kind of hampers a relationship don't you think?" she took a long drink from her bottle. "I have a hard time caring about anyone and the minute I do something happens."

They all sat in silence for a while. Natsuki eating her food like nothing happened, only her jerky movements and grim expression betraying her foul mood. Mikoto wore a worried expression that was hard to take seriously as she shoveled ramen into her mouth.

"What about that one girl you always talked to in school?" Mai began.

Natsuki's chop stick cracked. "Will you just stay the **fuck** out of my love life!? You know damn well that we stopped talking! Living half a world away makes it hard to find anything in common past a certain point!"

Daring the storm ahead Mai pressed on, "But you two talked since elementary…"

The sound of wood scraping on wood echoed throughout the kitchen as Natsuki pushed her chair back and stood up. Taking her bowl over the sink she set it down roughly before turning on Mai. "She found someone okay! Is that what you wanted to hear? She met some guy that her parents wanted her to marry!"

"Did you ever find out what happened? If I remember correctly after that you just stopped writing her."

Natsuki stood there and seethed for a minute before throwing up her hands letting out a cry of frustration. "Gah! What the hell does it matter to you? Who says I ever liked her?"

Mai couldn't help but laugh to herself. "Oh, you may not have known it but it was pretty obvious."

Natsuki just stared at her a dumbfounded expression on her face before she cried out in frustration again and reentered the living room.

Another cry could be heard followed by a pretty big commotion. "Stupid fucking box! Why in the hell would you leave it right by the god damned doorway!?"

Mai looked at Mikoto and they both burst out laughing.

* * *

Shizuru sat back in her desk rubbing her temples. It had been a very stressful day in court and the fact that she was defending a client she knew was guilty didn't help her. Unfortunately she seemed to get stuck with a lot of cases where she and everyone else knew her clients were guilty as sin.

The real problem was she was good at her job; no client who she had ever gotten stuck with was ever convicted of the crime they were charged with. Early on in college she found she had a knack for law her observation and people skills completely complimenting the career as a lawyer. At the moment she was the youngest lawyer at the firm with the best record running so far. With eight wins and zero losses no one doubter her capabilities although some claimed she used underhanded tactics to get what she wanted.

Shizuru chuckled. Manipulation and playing to peoples sympathies was something she had learned to do very early on in the legal process and she had many affluent people as friends because of her genial nature. All this put together made it very easy for her to gather information, call in favors and so forth.

Leaning back in her chair she gazed out her office window. She learned that the way to play the game was use any means necessary to achieve your goals and not be held back by morality. She laughed.

For how bloodthirsty her approach to her job made her appear to be, she knew that she had a weakness. That which she knew she shouldn't have in this game. Morals…

"Fujino!" her boss, Ferrer yelled barging into her office.

"Yes sir?" she calmly responded, setting down the cup of tea she forgot she was holding.

"Your last client was just charged with manslaughter!" Ferrer yelled again, throwing down a newspaper that showed the man she had just today defended in cuffs.

"Ara, what a shame." She said taking a sip from her cup.

"Yes, what a shame." Ferrer began to pace in front of her desk slowly. Shizuru merely sat there her eyes closed waiting for the boisterous man to continue. "It seems that information was leaked the police department by a certain source that had inside information with the man. It also seems that they were given enough information for it to be an open and shut case."

"Ara, seems like someone didn't like him very much." She said smiling up at him innocently.

"You know, I find it very interesting that just about all your clients end up in prison shortly after you help them. You clear them of one felony they end up there for another."

"Seems like a lot of coincidences." She picked up the paper and began scanning the front page. "Oh, look a new bookstore opens today!" she said excitedly.

"That's it!"

"Ara?"

"Fujino I want you to take a vacation."

"A…rrrr….aaa?" she said slowly. "No thank you I'm fine, besides if I didn't work I wouldn't have anything else to do."

"That's just the point, you need to get out and do something besides your job."

"And what do you suggest I do sir?"

"I don't care," he turned and made his way out of her office dismissively waving a hand, "go read a book or something. I don't want to see you here for a long time."

After he left, not bothering to close the door behind him Shizuru sighed. Turning back to the large window behind her she called out to her secretary. "Tomoe."

"Yes mam? The teal haired girl said poking her head in the doorway.

Shizuru sat in thought for a moment. She was sure that she could get out of this vacation somehow but the truth of the matter was she was just so… so… bored. Never mind how conflicted and outright tired she was, the boredom was eating away at her as much as playing both side of the fence in the court room.

"Cancel all my meetings, and set me up a flight somewhere." She finally said.

"Ye-yes mam." Tomoe timidly responded. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't care," Shizuru said turning to her secretary and taking a drink from her cup. "Just keep it in the country please."

"Yes mam." Tomoe said quickly turning on her heels.

"Oh and Tomoe?" Shizuru said before the other girl made it to her desk.

"Yes?"

"Would you please make a list of 'good books' for me as well?" she said laughing slightly. Ferrer wanted her to read a book, so she would read a book.

* * *

"Good night Mai, thanks for all your help." Natsuki said leaning against the doorway of her apartment.

"It was no problem, I'll stop by tomorrow and pack while you're out of town." The red head said hefting one of Mikoto's legs in her arm. The girl had fallen asleep shortly after dinner.

"Out of town?" Natsuki blinked.

"Yeeees…" Mai said rather annoyed. "I'm not even your agent and I know your schedule. You have a book signing tomorrow remember?"

Natsuki groaned, she had completely forgotten and if she remembered correctly her flight left in six hours. "Great…"

"I knew you forgot. Well, maybe this will be a good chance for you to get laid or something… Oh, well goodbye."

Natsuki stood at the door and blinked while Mai's words sank in. The elevator doors were already closing when it hit her. "Mai!" Too late.

Sighing Natsuki closed the door and turned back into her dark apartment. She didn't know why but she preferred it that way. Being partial to natural lighting and shunning the annoyance of having to turn off all the lights at night she opted just to leave them off and let the light of the city flood in her window.

Leaning against the door frame to her living room she looked around. Boxes opened and closed, in various states of being packed were strewn about the room. All that remained in the room was a T.V. its stand, a small table and the couch. Wondering about her life style Natsuki continued to look around her soon to be once home. She supposed she led a pretty lonely life by somes standards but she knew that not everyone could be as lucky as Mai and have the love of their life fall out of the sky and land on them. Literally.

Laughing she made her way to the fridge to grab another beer reminiscing about how Mikoto and Mai had met. As much as Mai had hated it at first Natsuki just had to throw it into one of her books, it was just one of those circumstances that was just too crazy to be real but was. Kicking off her shoes she entered the living room again taking care to avoid the box she had kicked half way across the room earlier.

As she neared the couch she felt something under her feet. Looking down to see what she stepped on she noticed a pile of envelopes, some opened some closed. Glancing around she followed a trail of them back to the box that was now by the opposite wall. Slightly intrigued she bent down to pick up one of the letters.

Sitting down on the couch her back to the window so the light could pour down over her shoulders she read the hand writing on the front. Kanji. "Hmm" she mused, it had been quite a while since she had seen that, years in fact. Trying to remember exactly how long it had been since she had been to Japan she read her name on the front of the envelope.

It was beautifully written, so beautiful in fact that each symbol could have been put in a frame and hung from a wall and someone who didn't know what each symbol meant wouldn't have a clue that it wasn't just some piece of art. Looking closer she inspected the writing. It was in deed hand written not typed.

This intrigued her more as she couldn't remember the last time she had received anything hand written. Most people opted for email or just typed out their letters nowadays.

Opening the letter she couldn't help but feel a great since of déjà vu. Opening the letter she read what many teachers would call the "salutation."

"_My Dearest Natsuki…"_

Her hand started shaking. Memories came flooding back. A garden. Flowers. A smiling face. Laughter. Happiness. Pain. Sadness.

Her head bowed tears forming in her eyes she began to laugh. It was the desperate laugh of someone who couldn't do anything else. "You always follow me don't you? I really never can outrun you can I?"

Natsuki now remembered who all the letters that were strewn about the living room floor were from. Each written in that same beautiful handwriting, each beginning with the same salutation. These were letters that she had saved for several years, putting them in a box and shoving them in the back of her closet in hopes that she could forget them.

Not bothering to look up she brought down the letter so she could see it. Her head blocking all the light so that she couldn't read what was written but that didn't matter. She didn't need to see the name at the bottom of the letter in order to know whose it was.

"Shizuru…"

* * *

Shizuru sneezed as she walked into a bookstore. Rubbing her nose she giggled slightly, "Ara, someone must be talking about me." She had just left her office leaving behind an extremely worried Tomoe to take care of everything for her.

Before leaving the teal haired girl had given her a plane ticket as well as the list of books she had asked for. Waving goodbye to everyone and making it a point to stop by Ferrer's office to give her farewell she left, deciding to make a stop by the bookstore she had read about.

Stepping into the store she walked by a cardboard folding sign that read:

Book Signing Tomorrow! Natsuki Kruger to sign copies of her award winning book My Hime!

Gazing around at all the shelves and taking in the smell of leather, paper, and coffee she made her way through the aisles. Looking down at the list Tomoe had given her she skimmed through the titles and list of authors not really finding anything that caught her interest.

That was until her eyes fell upon the last name on the list:

**Natsuki Kuga**

She blinked a few times rubbing her eyes before rereading it.

**Natsuki Kruger**

"Ara, now I'm seeing things." She laughed nervously. But the resemblance in names was still pretty shocking. Memories began to come back to her but she shook her head quickly fighting them off she marched through the shelves.

_Might as well check it out, so far it seems the most interesting thing on the list._ She though looking down at it again. For the most part it consisted of drama novels and others of the very mundane nature. _Just like Tomoe…_

After a while of searching in the section she was sure it would be in she decided to ask someone.

"Excuse me miss?"

The woman wearing a uniform turned around smiling, "Yes? How can I help you?"

Ignoring the fake smile and politeness Shizuru asked, "Could you tell me where I can find this book?"

"My Hime…. By Natsuki Kruger…" the demeanor of the woman changed almost immediately as a small scowl adorned her face. "Right this way…"

With that she turned down the aisles and Shizuru followed suit wondering what could have brought about the change in the woman. "Right here mam"

Looking around Shizuru noticed she was once at again at the entrance of the store. There, a stand was set up with the same book lining its cardboard shelves. Above it in garish oversized letters was the title "My Hime."

Picking up a copy Shizuru looked at the cover which gave next to nothing away about the story it held within. However she again had to take a double take at the authors name listed in bold letters beneath the books title.

Turning to the attendant behind her she asked, "How is it?"

The woman barely covered her sneer, "It's horrible in my opinion. The author threw in a character with her name in there. She does that in all her books and for the most part she always pairs her self with another character in there."

"Hmm" Shizuru thought absently. _Well, it is __**still**__ the most interesting thing on the list._ "I'll take it." She said smiling brightly at the woman.

The attendant seemed slightly thrown off by this but laughed. "Well, if you're interested the author will be here tomorrow to sign copies of the book. People tell me that she's a knock out though what that has to do with writing I will never know."

"It certainly couldn't hurt." Shizuru said smiling causing the other woman to blush.

As they made their way to the register Shizuru lost her self in thought. _Tomorrow? I wonder…_ Pulling her plain ticket from her back she read the departure time. _8:00 a.m. Tomoe, diligent as always. Still…_

Her thoughts drifted to long ago when she once knew a girl that had given her reasons to smile when she had none. A girl that had made her feel as if anything was possible.

Looking down at the book she thumbed the raised letters of the author's name. "Natsuki…"

* * *

A/N: Dont yell at me about the Kanji comment, i honestly dont know what people write their names in, if you can give me the right word that would be enough :) Also tell me if they are to ooc. I my self have ALWAYS had a problem when people have natsuki drinking/smoking but i dont think it pulled away from her character to much. As for shizuru she is kinda supposed to be detached atm. Other than that i hope you liked it.

ssjx7squall


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well i realize its been a while and i have no excuse beyond the fact that i have been really tired. That and i have gotten a job but that is also a pitiful excuse. Anyways i wrote this chapter up a few days ago, was gonna add to it but i am a lil stuck on the next part. Also thank you for all your excelent suggestions on titles and i think i finally decided on this one. Thank emosewame for the idea :) Also, i should be making my own return to FF, kind of ironic i stopped writing after complaining about others not doing it for so long. Anyways here is a painfully short second chapter but i wanted to get something posted

ssjx7squall

* * *

Chapter 2:

"You know, you could have tried to get some sleep last night…" Sakomizu said, regarding Natsuki who was seated across from him.

Head leaning back against the seat with a pair of sunglasses on Natsuki let out a small groan before answering. "Some things came up, besides I'm here to sign books it really doesn't matter what the hell I look like."

"Of course it matters, do you realize how much of your fan base is male?"

Not bothering to look at him Natsuki waved one hand dismissively. "Yeah like they give a shit about the books. They probably care about them as much as I do."

Sighing in defeat Sakomizu looked at her pleadingly. "Still, some make-up couldn't have hurt."

Natsuki scoffed. "Hey, maybe this way I'll scare a few off eh?"

Sakomizo cringed at the hopeful tone in her voice. "Do you have any drafts for me?" he asked hopefully.

Snoring noises began to emanate from the other side of the limousine. Sighing again Sakomizu turned to look out the window. "This is going to be a long flight…"

"You know your writing really isn't as cheap as you seem to think it is." Sakomizu offered once again despite knowing how useless a pursuit this conversation was.

"Yeah yeah.." Natsuki almost grunted. She was leaning her head against the window of limo, eyes closed once again trying to get even a fraction of the sleep her body demanded.

"I think you are really holding your self back by the genera you choose, you could do so much more if you started writing something more realistic rather than sticking to fantasy worlds."

The girl grunted again.

"I mean, it is painfully apparent you care nothing about the worlds you write about, but the characters and their interactions are truly extraordinary. Even though," he cleared his throat. "Some of their relationships are on the questionable and less than popular side of the spectrum they are painfully real, unique and in depth."

Natsuki yawned.

"Aaaand you don't care…" Sighing the man leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms. "I don't know why you keep coming to me, it's not like you ever take my advice."

Bowing her head slightly and sighing Natsuki turned to look at the man, her eyes still blocked from view by her dark shaded sunglasses. "Because you are the only one I know who can take the pieces of shit I write and make money off of them, and if that means I have to listen to a bit of misguided advice that we all know is a bunch of bull to begin with then so be it."

Sakomizu opened his mouth about to speak when Natsuki cut him off. "We're here."

Blinking as the limo stopped Sakomizu watched as the blue haired girl opened the door and stepped out.

* * *

A/N: This by far has to be the shortest thing i have ever written. Oh well a note on my other stories for those who are interested. Abandonment and Snapshots may be put on hold for a while, as the next chapters for both are extremely emotionally filled and i just dont have the right mindset/strength to write those scenes just yet, but i have a lot of ideas for Together Forever finally and Snapshots as well but i need to get that scene out of the way first.

ssjx7squall


End file.
